We appreciate your thirst to learn how to start a digital printing business. As a printing and design company, we know that there is an incredible demand for a same day printing service in London. A number of digital printers benefit from this. Else, it is a moneymaking opportunity in other parts of the world as well!
Let us share some stats. Did you know the Global Commercial Printing Market was worth $411.99 or £300.74 billion in 2020? Moreover, it will reach $472.35 or £348.66 billion by the end of 2026, even with a CAGR of approximately 2.24% in 2021-2026! Believably from this ReportLinker report, you can guess what the coming days will look like for the printing industry. And for the same reason, we have appreciated your zeal, and it’s our pleasure to present the know-how and strategies on this before you.
How to Start a Digital Printing Business
There are some steps you should follow step by step. There are some tactics you need to apply. If you want to get them in detail, please go through the points below!
What Is Digital Printing?
The initial condition of starting a business is to have a crystal-clear notion of that business. Digital printing is a computerised printing process that has been popular for a quick and cost-effective solution. This method comprises variable data capabilities. Simply put, it is the technology to transfer digital elements directly onto different types of media.
You can print photos, illustrations, PDFs, and Microsoft Office Word documents on fabric, cardstock, canvas, photo paper and other materials in a short turnaround time. This method uses liquid ink or toner instead of any application of printing plates. This is ideal for those who need low volumes of printed products such as newsletters, postcards, brochures, invitations, business cards, menus, t-shirts, and many more. It’s a fact that it has revolutionised the printing industry.
Get into the Door of Possibilities
A Canon study says marketing campaigns that combine print, email, mobile messaging, and personalised URLs had a conversion rate of 19 per cent and a response rate of 8.7 per cent. Can you now imagine how much you can earn from business professionals? Customers prefer digital printing because of its quick turnaround execution, comparatively low-cost yet high-quality printing. Notably, they choose this option to meet their same-day or next-day printing requirement. So chances are very high to gain from this, agree? Moreover, if you can create outstanding custom printed products, you will attract new markets of various applications. Let us get familiar with the most popular digital printing products. These are –
- Advertisements
- Catalogues and booklets
- T-shirts
- Labels
- Magazines
- Business cards
- Backpacks
- Wedding invitations
- Restaurant menus
- Flyers and brochures
- Tote bags
- CD covers
- Postcards
- Custom envelopes
- Legal and financial documents
- Promotional products, etc.
Hopefully, you can assume what a huge potential is there waving at you! However, you have to come up with your unique selling proposition (USP) to shine in this business. So better make it a part of your start-up.
Come up with a Practical Plan
Only a well-thought plan can help you reach your destiny. Planning includes several things such as competitor issues, financial budget, target niche, operating style, etc. If you ask us to be specific concerning this, we would suggest-
- Find out the apt niche
- Discover the reasons for customers’ satisfaction and disappointment
- Delve into the strong points and weak points of your competitors
- Estimate the monthly, half-yearly, and yearly budget for production and human resource management
- Decide on the source of equipment
- Set up your mission, vision and objectives
- Set a price for each printed product
Deal with the Chosen Niche
You will see a variety of customers along with their different needs. In each demographic, there are toddlers, youth, teens and adults. And your potential customers can be general consumers, business owners, schools, clubs, government institutions, and different organisations. So you have to think about how extraordinarily you can meet their demands. Identifying the target people and their problems and expectations is essential. Afterwards, it would help if you segmented your niche market based on two major things. These are –
- the needs of your target customer and
- the age of the target customer
And remember, whenever you are in the printing business arena, you are in an ocean of competition. Our advice is- never to limit yourself; instead, always set a bigger goal to surpass your competitors. In this regard, conducting keyword research can benefit you to a large extent. For this-
- Insert the chosen niche-related keywords
- Add targeted areas to find out which words and phrases are recommended
- Scale down the recommendations by monthly search volume, competition level, and suggested bid
- Go for 1K-10K per month for search volume
Learn about Start-up Cost
The start-up cost may vary depending on the location. So we won’t claim to be exact. However, we will give an idea of the average cost. To start a digital printing business, you will need between 1.5k to 7k sterling pounds or USD 2,000 to USD 10,000. Another fact is, it depends on the economic situation of a specific state.
Try out the Three Wings
Yes, we want your business to fly! But for this, you have to follow a business model. You can go online, offline or door-shopping, even combining the three options simultaneously to maximise your sales. However, it will be wise to emphasise online stores for the digital printing business. Shouldn’t you take advantage of the online revolution? Here are the top e-commerce platforms for doing business online –
- Shopify
- BIGCOMMERCE
- Magento
- PrestaShop
- Woocommerce
Be Familiar with the Equipment
The quality of the printed products will depend on the quality of your equipment. So be careful of that. And let us introduce you to the standard equipment you will need. These are-
- A high-quality digital printer (capable of 11-inch by 17-inch printing)
- A desktop computer
- Design software
- Cutting tool
- Laminator
Set Your Propaganda Machine
Hey, we are not talking about a machine literally! Rather, it would help if you publicised what you sell or offer. Let’s say you have added the same-day printing service to your business. Shouldn’t you use some means to propagate that?
Plus, a cool marketing strategy is a must for raising your sales. That means it must be alluring and convincing. You have to make the potential customers understand why you are the hub where they should get their necessary digital printing service. And here are the most helpful advertising tools you can use –
- Website
- Social Media Page
- Worth of Mouth (WOM)
- Ad Campaigns
- Promotional Events
- Leaflets
- Flyers
- Brochures
- Newspaper Articles
- Influencer Marketing
Become a Legal Entity
You have to stand up as a legal entity for doing this digital printing business. Any doubt? This is indispensable. No matter if you run this business online, offline, or door-shipping, you must maintain the legal formality. And for this, you have to select any of the following business structures. These are-
- Sole proprietorship
- Partnership
- Corporation
- Limited liability company (LLC)
Catch These Pro-tips to Succeed Faster
You must be craving to surpass your competitors, right? As an age-old printing and design company, we are here with some unique shots. Please go through the points below.
- Emphasise dealing with B2B Customers. The B2C market won’t benefit you in the long run. To get bulk orders, target as many B2B clients as you can.
- Approach as many potential customers as you can to win the possible value and opportunity. The more you reach out, the more you maximise the chance.
- In the case of outsourcing, try to choose at least two or three different outsourcers. And choose merely the most reliable.
- Develop a Unique Selling Point (USP) of your own to stand out from the crowd. Put more importance on the value rather than typical tricks.
- Negotiate a sliding discount scale based on sales per month. This is a strategic means to progress faster.
- Get into a multi-vendor marketplace. Such a marketplace will help achieve more clients than you expect.
- Prioritise customisation. It would help best if you discovered the increasing demand for personalised products.
The Ending Thoughts
Now you know how to start a digital printing business in detail. Remember, knowledge is for application. So it would help best if you made its best use to get the highest potential market around you. Wish you a stroke of good luck!
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FAQ
Question: What does DPI mean?
Answer: Well, it refers to dots per inch. It is a quality measurement for print work. A below 200 dpi will ruin everything! You have to ensure 300 dpi to get the standard for your printed materials.
Question: Is Digital Print a hands-on process?
Answer: No, dear! It is a computer-governed process. You will need to run this by design software. In short, the inkjet nozzles of your printer spray ink onto the designated area of the substrate.
Question: Can special print effects be achieved digitally?
Answer: Sure! Though it depends on the quality of the printer, let us assure that modern machinery is capable of providing clear varnish along with the proper gloss, emboss effects.
Question: When did Digital Printing come into effect?
Answer: Well, it took 600 years after the maiden recorded examples of print. In 1993, Indigo came up with their legendary E-Print 1000 printer that could directly print from a computer file. And it revolutionised the printing industry!
